Attacking the Wild Animal
by LoveDisaster
Summary: Caroline/Damon... This AU, not following the storyline of the show or the books. Caroline is a vampire in this story, but that's about all that's the same. Give it a shot!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This my first fanfic so try and be kind. BTW, don't own any of the characters, obviously that's all Kevin and Julie. **

Care's POV

I am frozen in my spot in the kitchen doorway. Next to me, Elena stands shaking from the shock of it all, eyes wide like saucers. I know I should be shaking too, not from the shock, but from desire. Usually the blood calls to me, usually it sings so loud that my teeth clatter in anticipation, but today it's his blood that's on the floor, and that makes me scared, because he's the one person that has always seemed invincible. So when I look at him and see the huge bloody gash on his arm, so deep that I can see bone, I am terrified. Stefan beside him isn't doing much better, but he's always been weaker. Damon is the strong one; I figured that out almost immediately.

Elena rushes to Stefan side, and even though Damon is in a lot of pain I can't miss the flash of hurt in his eyes, when Elena neglects him for Saint Stefan. I take two slow deep breaths. Even though I don't really need to breathe, I find that just the action alone steadies me enough to focus on the job at hand. I get to Damon quickly and try to assess the damage, but he pulls away.

"I don't need your help, Blondie. It'll heal in a second and then we can all go our merry little way." He says. I know he wants me to believe that he doesn't need help, but the truth is that if he didn't want my help he would have been gone before I even had a chance to cross the room. Pain or no pain, Damon doesn't let his vulnerability show. The fact that he's letting me see it means he's in more pain than anyone could possibly bear.

"I know you don't need my help, Damon, but those werewolves are still out there and the sooner you heal the sooner we can figure out a way to get rid of them."

Damon's POV

She's scared, I can tell. She's never been very good at hiding her emotions, everything is written in her eyes. It's just that no one's ever bothered to notice. But I notice I've spent too much of my time feeding off her, possessing her, back when she was still a vulnerable human. Somehow I've picked up these little things about her. I know that when she's scared her eyes widen and her hands shake, just like they are now. I let her help me up. I'm not sure why do, except that it seems to steady her, having something to focus on, and easing her fear seems to give me some relief from the pain. I have so much rage in me right now. Rage at Stefan, rage at Elena, and rage at those ridiculous werewolves, but I hold all the emotion in, and I don't flip the switch, because Caroline is right. We have a werewolf problem to deal with, and if we don't all of us are in danger when the next full moon comes.

**So that's the first part… they'll be more soon, please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Caroline's POV

"So you're telling me that two wolves just came here and attacked you, without any provocation? Why would they do that? It's not even a full moon. You could have killed them." Alaric says. I'm not really surprised that it is taking Alaric this long to process what Damon has just told us about the attack. Alaric never believes anything Damon says, until there's concrete proof. This whole thing would go a lot faster if Stefan would speak up and back up his brother, but surprisingly Stefan stays completely silent. Usually he's in the thick of the plotting and scheming. Now he's just sits silent nursing all his wounds.

"I bet you it was Tyler that little punk probably found out that I killed Mason and that we're vampires, and now he wants revenge. Got Mason's girlfriend to help him out. I have to kill them. Before the next full moon or else they'll come after us again." Damon says, as he rubs his shoulder. He hasn't had enough blood to fully heal, and he's tired. I want to ask him to sit down, but all he seems to be able to do is pace. Besides, I'm too distracted at the idea of Tyler and Damon battling it out.

"It couldn't have been Tyler; he wouldn't try and kill anyone. He's still too confused about what he is to do any damage. Besides he doesn't know about you guys being vampires, and I know for a fact that he's helping his mom set up for the Lockwood annual barbeque, so he couldn't have been here attacking you." Damon's eyes shoot up and it seems like he wants to argue with me, but something makes him refrain. May be it's the desperation in my voice.

"Fine, then we all go to the barbeque and see if we can figure out who attacked us, and what they want. If anyone thinks they're being threatened, go in for the kill. I don't want anyone taking any chances. Elena, you and Jeremy stay here." He says, moving into motion.

Predictably, Elena and Jeremy both get up and with a solid "no" declare that they're coming too. As Elena and Damon argue, I take a moment to look around at the others in the room. Out of everyone I'm most worried about Stefan. Neither of the brothers are up for a fight right now, but Stefan's silence means that there's something he's worried about. Something big that he's not telling us. Usually he would be fighting right alongside with Damon to keep Elena out of the fight, but his mouth is set in a frown, and he seems miles away. He's not even looking at them. Instead he seems to be gazing at the carpet, motionless. Before I have anytime to approach him, Damon is pulling my arm.

"Come on Barbie. I'm going to need you to distract Tyler." He says, and two minutes later were out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Still Caroline's POV

We've all paired off as we head into the party. Each with our own personal missions. Bonnie and Stefan are tasked with finding a room, and setting up some witchy spell that will keep all the wolves locked up, until we can figure out what we're going to do with them, and what they want. Damon and Elena go find Jules. Damon figures that she's the most dangerous, and he's worried that no one will be able to keep an eye on Elena better than he can. Alaric has gone to find Jenna, to keep her away and distracted from the action. That leaves Jeremy and I to find Tyler, a task that shouldn't be too hard, since Tyler has started following me like I'm the peanut butter to his jelly ever since he found out that I'm a vampire.

The music is loud, and there is a huge crowd of people on the Lockwood's back lawn. Jeremy and I have been here for hours, and we have yet to run into Tyler or Jules or any of the others. The party is great though, everyone is having fun, and this would be the exact thing I would have loved if I was still a simple high school girl, but I'm not. My life is more complicated than that now. The noise of the crowd and the music is making my head throb, and the smell of the meat on the grill is making me nauseous or hungry, I can't tell which right now. Jeremy is whining by my side about how they should just give up because it seems that Tyler has decided not to show up, when Matt approaches us.

"Hey," he says with that soft desperate voice that use to make me swoon, but now just makes me want to cry because I know that the only way this conversation can end is with me breaking his heart, yet again.

"I'm gonna go give you two some space," Jeremy says. I'm not sure if I want him to leave or stay. This situation couldn't get anymore messed up.

"What's up Matt?" I ask.

"Listen Caroline, I don't know what's going on between you and Tyler, but I'm not just going to let him come between us. I love you Caroline, and you've been acting all hot and cold, but I know it's just a defense mechanism. I wish you would just let me in, and tell me what's going on with you. Cause I miss you, and I think I could help." Matt says, all in one breathe.

I'm not really surprised that he's confessing his undying love for me. He's been giving me these looks all week. The kind of looks that say I know we broke up, but I love you in that kind of way that anything you do can't be wrong. I'm not sure how I feel right now, my emotions are all fuzzy. I use to love Matt, back when I was human and naïve to all the things that go bump in the night. Back when I thought love was suppose to be a white picket fence and 2.5 children. Now, I'm realistic enough to think there is a very strong possibility that the kind of love Matt wants, may not exist. As for Tyler, I like him well enough as a friend, but he's been really the only person I can connect with about being a vampire, and maybe that's all there is to that friendship, just a mutually understanding. I don't want to lose Tyler as a friend, but I'm getting increasingly scared that maybe Damon's right, maybe vampires and werewolves can only ever be enemies, especially after seeing what they did to Damon's arm.

I realize that Matt is staring at me expectantly waiting for an answer, so I give him the only thing I can think of to say right now, and hopes it doesn't sting as much as I think it will.

"Matt I have to go," I say and walk away. I reach my car before I realize that I still have to find Tyler. If I bail Damon will never forgive me, and I'm sure he'll stake me before I even get an explanation out. I need some time to think, to process, but it feels like everything is moving so fast. Matt wants an explanation for my behavior recently, Tyler wants all this information about vampires and werewolves that I can't give him without revealing everyone else's secret, and Damon he just uses me when he can to protect Elena. It'll always be about Elena.

I'm distracted, so when the noise comes from behind me, I only have a second to react. Too bad it takes me just a second too long.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Guys! So I'm a little confused about what the ratings for stories stand for so I'm not sure what to make this story. If anyone could just let me know what they stand for I can finally post an actual rating, because right now I keep changing it. **

Damon's POV

This party is starting to drive me crazy. My blood is rushing and all I want is to rip into someone's throat. There's a leggy redhead in the corner of the room giving me a look, and I just know that I could probably have her undressing for me in a matter of minutes, but right now Elena is tugging on my arm. I keep cool calm and collected for her.

"Damon, look there's Tyler, we should get him to come with us," she says. Tyler is over by the grill talking to some blonde chick that is most definitely not Caroline.

"Damn it, I told her to take care of him," I say and I rush over to Tyler. Elena's right behind me. One of her many flaws are that she doesn't stop to think about the danger that could befall her hanging out with me.

"Come on Lockwood, you're coming with us," I demand practically ripping his arm out of his socket as I dragging him along to the room that Bonnie and Stefan have set up for this little interrogation.

"Damon, don't you think you should be a little nicer to him, considering you want answers," Elena says next to me. She's probably right, but all I can see is red right now. The next second the entire room is chaos. Stefan slams Tyler into the nearest wall; Elena, Bonnie and Jeremy are all screaming at Stefan and trying to pull him off of the wolf. I can keep my temper around Tyler, no matter how much I wanna kill him and his stupid friends, looks like little brother can't.

"Knock it off, Stefan we need answers," I say. Stefan's fangs retract, but his grip on Tyler stays firm.

"Why did you attack us, what are you after?" he says. I've never seen Stefan this cold. I can tell he's freaking out everyone in the room because all anyone can do is stare. Plus Elena is actually shaking a little.

"You guys are vampires? Caroline said she was the only one, does she know about you guys?" Tyler says. His eyes practically popping out of his school. Stefan releases him and turns towards me. Tyler dashes out of the room, and we both let him because we know he's not the real problem. There's a bigger threat out there than just Tyler Lockwood except neither of us is ready to talk about it. Neither of us is ready to face the fact that our past has finally caught up with us.

**AngelusFaith- I want to thank you because when you commented on how anyone could get that close to Damon unscathed you gave me a perfect idea of how to spin this story. The answer is he was distracted. **

**Please review guys because I use your reviews for the story. Every review changes the outcome of the story. **

**Next Chapter back to Caroline's pov, and you get to find out who was behind her. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, long chapter, but I think you guys are going to love it! It's my favorite so far. Plus there's a great Damon/Caroline scene.**

Caroline's POV:

When I wake up, I realize instantly that I've been hit on the head and shot up with enough vervain that my limbs are so weak they feel like jelly. Even if I wanted to move right now, there is no strength in my entire body to get it done. Besides all the vervain, I am tied to a tree. The rope would probably be easy enough to tear apart, if I was at my regular strength. Across from the tree, there's a guy sitting on one of those fold- up chairs, he's snoring. I can still hear the Lockwood's party so I know that I can't be that far away from anyone that could save me. The question is how to get them to figure out that I need help. The only weapons I have at hand are my fangs and there's no way I could get to the rope with them.

Over head the fireworks have started, and they bring me back to a time when everything was simpler. Last year, I had gone to the party with Elena and Bonnie. Elena had just broken up with Matt and she had just lost her parents. I had convinced her that being around people would help her heal. Instead of healing all three of us had gotten plastered, and by the time the fireworks had started we were hiding out in the gazebo on the back lawn laughing our asses off at the image of our English teacher tripping and landing face first into Carol Lockwood's prize winning hydrangeas.

This year, the fireworks have started and I have a sneering, ugly werewolf in my face, guess the fireworks woke him up.

"I am going to have so much fun ripping you to shreds," he says spitting all over my face. Suddenly, he straightens goes back to his fold up chair, takes out a gun and shoots me. He shoots me over and over again, while I scream. I wonder if anyone at the party notices I'm missing, if anyone cares.

As I start to black out again, I think back to the last time I was in this much pain. Last time I couldn't even scream.

Flashback a few months

I am lying in my bed thinking about the night I just had. The Founders council hosted a ball tonight, and all of us wore old vintage gowns and we danced as if it were the 1800's even though no one knew the dance moves. Well that's not true Damon and Stefan knew the moves.

Flashback to the dance

Somehow, I had ended up at the punch bowel all by myself. Matt was my date for the night, but I had already pulled him through 2 dances and he had said he needed some air. That was obviously an excuse for him to be able to go outside and drink from the flask that Tyler had snuck in. I let him go; I was tired of dragging him along the floor, pretending to dance because neither of us knew what we were doing.

"You look bored," someone says from behind me and as I turn I can't help laughing at the sight before me. No not laughing, giggling. I am giggling hysterical at Damon Salvatore.

"What is soo funny?" he asks.

"You! Look at you, you look…" I couldn't finish. I'm sure my face was probably turning red from the amusement of it all. He is wearing what one could only imagine George Washington had worn in his day and age.

"Sexy, I look sexy, say it Blondie," he says. He has this smirk on his face the one that tells you that he knows how hot he really is.

"Ridiculous," I blurt out, "you look ridiculous," I finish. It gives me some triumph to see the smirk disappear. Ha! I have just deflated his huge ego. 1 point for Caroline and 0 for Damon. All my mental gloating is for nothing though because the next second Damon's hand is on my arm and he's dragging me out onto the dance floor.

"Wha- What are you doing, Damon?" I hiss. We were moving so fast I can't think straight.

"We're dancing, but perhaps you wouldn't be able to recognize it since Lover boy can't dance," he says.

"You were watching me! Why?" I ask.

"Don't read too much into it. You and your boyfriend were stumbling over the place. It was like a train wreck. Couldn't look away." He says. We're twirling faster and faster across the floor. I know there are other people dancing, but Damon expertly weaves us around them. I would never admit it to him, but I am seriously impressed.

"Where did you learn how to do this…?" I ask. I'm fishing for anything, any topic I can get to prolong this conversation, this dance just a little bit further.

"It's called a waltz and my mother taught me," he says. It is the first time, since meeting Damon Salvatore that I remember him being so gentle so kind. His eyes are bright when he mentions his mom.

"Is that where Stefan learned how to dance like this too?" I ask. My stomach lurches as instantly his reaction changes. He pushes me away from him and his eyes turn icy.

"I'm not wasting anymore of my time, Barbie." He snarls and rushes away, within moments I've lost sight of him.

The rest of the night goes by fast. I find Matt outside by the garden. He's throwing up in a fountain. When I finally find someone to drive me home, it is well past 2 am and I'm ready to crawl into bed and drift off. Instead, the memory of Damon pushing me away keeps me awake. Restlessly I fall asleep, tossing and turning.

When I wake up, there's someone standing over me. I can't remember who, and they're shoving something at my mouth. There's blood everywhere, but I can't tell where it's coming from. I try to scream, but the person takes my pillow and starts suffocating me with it. I kick and I punch, but there just pushing harder on the pillow and I'm losing oxygen faster, and then I black out.

Flashback ends.

Caroline Back in the Woods

**Next up Damon's POV…Plus the gang finally finds Caroline.**


	6. Chapter 6

Damon's POV

"What's our next move?" Stefan asks as he stares at me expectantly. I don't know when I became the decision maker in this group, but I don't like it.

"Shouldn't one of us keep an eye on Tyler, just in case he tells someone about you guys," Jeremy says and that's when I realize that Caroline isn't here. She was supposed to stay with Jeremy, but she's not here. My heart is racing because I know that after Elena, Caroline attracts trouble like a moth to the flame.

"Where's Caroline?" I ask, staring at Jeremy. Everyone is silent and there all looking at each other like they have no idea what I'm talking about, like they've forgotten. It makes me angry that no one seemed to notice that Caroline wasn't with us. It makes me furious that I didn't notice.

"Jeremy?" Elena prods.

"I don't know. Matt wanted to talk to her, so I left her with him." He says.

"You left her with Matt? A human? What's Matt going to do if she gets attacked?" I yelled. Why does it feel like I have t explain everything fifty times over and over again to everyone?

"Look, Caroline's a vampire, I thought she could handle herself." He said.

The next second Alaric bursts into the room.

"I don't know what you guys are doing up here, but I just saw Jules and Tyler headed towards the woods at the back of the house like five minutes ago. Aren't you suppose to be interrogating them?" he says, breathless. As soon as he gets the location out of his mouth, I am out of there. Stefan is on my tail and I'm glad for the extra support. I get a little ways into the woods before I realize that I have no idea where to start looking for her. I can't sense any wolves something is masking their scent.

"Should we split up?" Stefan asks and I'm about to say yes when I hear her scream. Again both of us are off this time side by side. If this were any other situation I'd say the imagery of us running side by side was almost poetic, but it's Caroline screaming and I can't get to her fast enough.

I stop right in front of where Caroline's being held. The guy is shooting her with some sort of dart gun, and she's tied to a tree. She looks so weak and her clothes is ripped in some many places that it makes me think he's been shooting her with these darts for awhile now. I know that Stefan will follow my lead, so I take a breath, dash behind the guy and twist. His neck cracks and he's dead within seconds. I stare at his body; it never ceases to amaze me how fragile our bodies are.

"Damon," I hear whispering from behind me and I remember that Caroline is scared right now and needs my help. I kneel down in front of her trying to untie the knot keeping the rope in place. I look up, her eyes are wide as saucers brimming with tears and her makeup is a mess. If she was her normal self right now, she wouldn't have a hair out of place.

"Damon, why are they doing this?" she asks. Her voice is so soft that I'm pretty sure it's taking everything she has in her just to speak.

"I don't know, shshsh Caroline, it's gonna be ok. I'm going to take care of this." I say and something impulses me to raise my hand and caress her cheek.

I've almost got the knot done, when I hear Stefan from behind me. "Damon, we've got company,"

I turn around and see that Stefan has taken care of the body, but now there are 3 wolves coming at us. I rush one hoping that my speed will be enough of a surprise to give me an advantage. I don't know how Stefan is doing, but more wolves are coming up on us. Caroline is too weak and we're too outnumbered. My heart sinks, we're going to lose this fight. My only thought is to take down as many of these dogs as I can with me.

**So that seemed like a good place to end this chapter. Next the second and resolution to the fight… **


	7. Chapter 7

**By the way, the whole one bite from a werewolf can kill a vampire, doesn't exist in this story.**

**There is a lot of d/c in this chapter.**

Caroline's POV

None of the wolves are paying attention to me, which is strange because I was the one captured in the first place, but it allows me with the perfect opportunity to untie the knot Damon started on. It doesn't take much more for the rope to fall off me, except now that I'm free I'm not really sure how I can help. I'm still too weak from the vervain to kill any wolves. My only option is to try and wound them hard enough that it'll be an easy kill for Stefan and Damon. There are now five wolves on the field. Two are dead or unconscious, two are attacking Stefan who can't even hurt them at this point, and one is with Damon. I pick up the rope to use as a lasso, when my face is smashed into the tree. My eyes flutter closed. Someone's hands are pushing me up against the tree and as always I panic.

"Do you know what I have in my hand right now, Caroline? I have a stake. It would be so easy to kill you right now. "The voice says, and I am sure that it belongs to Jules. My eyes flutter open at the shock of what she has just said. I can't die now, I haven't even lived really. There's still so many things I want to see, so many things I want to do. My eyes begin to focus and I see Tyler standing next to the tree. His eyes are wide with fear. He's my only hope.

"Tyler, please…" I say.

Damon's POV

I can tell we're done. Stefan is on the ground and the wolves are using his body to sharpen their claws. I'm on my final breath and just when the wolf is about to take a big bite out of my thigh, the cavalry shows up. Bonnie immediately starts on a spell that has all the wolfs howling and backing away. My breaths are coming slow and fractured and it is going to take me days to heal from this battle, if I even get the chance. Bonnie's spell may be working for now, but I can see from here that it's taking all her energy to stand upright and I can smell the blood coming from her nose. The wolves are starting to circle again and Jules has gotten up, stake in hand pulling Caroline back up against the tree. Just when I think Jules is about to stake Caroline right through the heart, a voice comes from the trees up ahead.

"That's enough, I only wanted the girl. You've all managed to make a mess of things. Go home." The wolves all turn and run away from the voice. The only werewolves left are Jules and Tyler and they're in human form. Stefan and I get up, we're barely holding on, but I know we'd both prefer to face this particular problem on our feet. Everyone turn their heads to the voice and I hear each individual gasp.

"Katherine," Stefan and I both say aggravated.

"I told you to leave," she says her eyes directed at Jules and Tyler who are still standing next to a very confused Caroline. Jules is furious. I can tell that she doesn't like being told what to do by a vampire. I barely have time to blink before Jules takes the stake and plunges it into Caroline's back.

"NO!" I scream and dash towards Caroline. I catch her before she even hits the ground. Thank God, the wolf wasn't aiming to kill because the wound isn't fatal. Tyler is standing there shocked, frozen like an ice sculpture, while Jules tries to run for her life. I'm too busy cradling Caroline in my arms, willing some kind of power back into her body. It's heartbreaking to see how much her body has gone through. I don't even have the energy to care that I am showing my feelings to everyone.

In one swift motion, Katherine has gotten to the running Jules and cracked her neck. She's dead before she hits the ground, and I am silently glad.

Tyler on the other hand sinks to his knees, and put his hands up to his face. He's surveying the damage of the battle through his fingers and saying, "This is crazy. You're all crazy."

**I hope you guys liked the battle scene and my mystery guest, Katherine! Her motives will all be revealed soon. So that's Jules and a few dead werewolves as our dead count. Let's see who I decide to kill off next. **

**Next up Caroline's point of view and how she deals with everything that's happened**


	8. Chapter 8

**So for now the fighting is going to cease for a bit and I'm going to have some normal stuff happen. School Dances, Couples making out, Dance Dance Revolution…**

Damon's Pov

The fighting has ceased for now, and when we all try and leave the wooded area, no one stops us and attacks. That must mean that for now, we are not an interest to the wolves or Katherine. We are all still acutely aware of the danger out there, but all of us are in a rush to get home, get to safety. There are some questions I need answers to and I wonder Stefan is puzzling over them too. Katherine said she only wanted the girl, but why would Katherine need Caroline? Why were the wolves so quick to listen to Katherine's orders, did she have someone enchanting them? A hundred and fifty years and suddenly Katherine was back in Mystic Falls, why?

Stefan leaves me to take care of Caroline and he takes everyone else home. If he thinks I'll know what to do or say to her when she wakes up, he's sorely mistaken. I take Caroline to the boarding house. I figure dropping her off at her house staked, weak and hungry for her mother to find is the worst idea possible. At least at the boarding house she'll get fresh blood and as many answers to her questions as I can provide.

I decided tonight that after everything Caroline's been through, I will try and give her any answers she needs. I don't think either of us has the strength to keep secrets from each other anymore. Doesn't mean that complete honesty isn't going to be hard for me; I've spent so many years bottling up all my secrets and emotions.

I watch her all night from the chair in the corner of my room, taking in her mangled features. She spends the entire night tossing and turning. As dawn hits, the bruises on her face fade and she stirs. I can tell she's confused when she wakes, but I make no moves toward her. She's had enough people she doesn't trust coming at her.

"Damon, where am I?" she asks. She doesn't seem frightened to see me there, which surprises me because Caroline and I have a fragile relationship, at best.

"Damon who was that, that woman that looked like Elena?" she asks. I walk over to the bed and sit down on the edge.

"Her name is Katherine. She is the one who turned Stefan and me, all those years ago." I say. I am slow and cautious with my words. I want to make sure that anything I say doesn't freak her out more.

"Why does she look exactly Elena?" she asks.

"Elena and Katherine are related. Distance relatives and Elena is Katherine's doppelganger." I say, hoping that this is enough for now to satisfy her curiosity.

"Why did the werewolves listen to her when she told them to leave," she asked.

"I don't know, there a lot of things about Katherine that I haven't figured out yet, but I will." I say. Katherine's tricky and manipulative, but she isn't going anywhere before I've found out why she's decided to wreak havoc to Mystic Falls.

"Do you need me to answer any more questions?" I ask. I suddenly realize that I am starving. I haven't eaten since we got back from the fight. Haven't wanted to leave Caroline less she wake up, but now that she's awake I can tell that leaving her for a couple of hours will be ok.

"No, I just want to sleep." She says and she's dozed off again before I even have the chance to say another word.

A few hours later Stefan returns home. He tries to talk to me about what happened, about Katherine, but all I want to do is drown my memories in a bottle of bourbon. Eventually, he leaves me alone and heads upstairs.

I finally head up towards one of the guest rooms. For some reason, I can't explain, I've put Caroline in my bed, and so crashing on my soft comfortable pillows is not an option. Nonetheless, I crack the door open to check on Caroline as I pass the room, only to find no one in there. Instead, on my immaculately made bed, Caroline has left a note. Clearly and carefully, in the most perfect script I've ever seen are two words. "Thank you."

**Like always, please Review! Thank you to everyone for all the kind words. I've taken into account all your suggestions about who to kill off next, and have decided. However, it won't happen for awhile because I want to strengthen Damon and Caroline's relationship through normal activities. **

**Next up: Caroline stops going to school, stops hunting, and stops talking to everyone. What's wrong with her and who will help her? **


	9. Chapter 9

Caroline's POV

I couldn't stay there, in his bed, with his scent all around me, filling up each breath I took. Once I'm finally home wrapped in my own sheets, I drift off to sleep again, but I am hunted even in my dreams.

The images that wake me are different every time, but they scare me and my fear grows. Flashes of blood dripping down my face, there's a soft female voice whispering encouragement. "Drink Caroline," she says and I'm suffocating. There's also the issue of Katherine, something about her struck a chord with me. Not just because she looks exactly like Elena, but because there is something very sinister and malevolent about the way she walks and talks. I wake up in a cold sweat, tired beyond exhaustion. There isn't anything concrete to hold on to in my dreams, and if someone were to ask me, I wouldn't be able to tell them what is so frightening.

I stay home from school that day. I'm too emotionally drained to see any of my friends and I don't have the mental strength to fake my way through my classes with a smile. Elena comes to visit me and as soon as I see her through the window pane I start sweating thinking that she's Katherine. Then I hear her heartbeat and I know it's actually Elena. I let her in and we sit sipping tea in the kitchen, not sure exactly what to say to each other. We've gotten closer ever since I became a vampire, but after the fight in the woods last night, we're both scarred and worried about what comes next. She wants to know why I wasn't in school today and I give her a noncommittal answer, something about sleeping off the affects of the battle. She purses her lips as if my answer isn't enough, but I'm not paying attention. Something about that action causes me to involuntarily shake. There's revulsion in my mouth and I'm suffocating.

"Elena…" I say cutting her off from her rant berating me for missing school. "Get out," I snap.

"Caroline, What…" she asks. She looks so confused and she's moving to slow. If she takes any longer, I'm going to sink my teeth into her slim elegant neck.

"Get out Elena, Get out!" I yell and shove her out the door. When Elena is out and the door is shut. I let out a breath of relief and sink to my knees. It's official, I'm going crazy.

The next person to pay me a visit that night is Stefan and it's sweet of him to have come, but I can tell it's only because I freaked the hell out of Elena. Nonetheless, I let him in because I think that as a vampire maybe he'll understand my predicament.

"What's going on with you Caroline?" He asks as we sit next to each other on the steps in front of my house. I thought I'd know what to say to him. Here's my chance to tell him all about the nightmares and how much Katherine scares me, but when I go to open my mouth nothing comes out. My brain cannot formulate a single thought.

"I don't know." I say and Stefan looks at me, pitying me as if this is something I am doing to myself.

"Caroline, if there is anything you need; you know I'm here for you, right?" He asks.

If there is anything I need! I need to stop being scared! I need to sleep without having nightmares! If only my stupid mouth would spit out the words. Instead I stay silent and eventually Stefan leaves.

I miss school the next day and the day after that. My nights are filled with horrific images and my days are filled with paralyzing fear. I can tell my mom is worried when she's not knocking on my door or at work, she's pacing downstairs. I can hear the constant tap of her shoes. By the second week, she bursts through my door and demands I go to school, but I look ragged and I have bags under my eyes so she leaves me alone. What she doesn't know is that I'm not feeding anymore. I haven't had blood since the boarding house almost two weeks ago. I am starving myself. I have no reason to do it except that I am so consumed by my fear that I cannot leave the house.


	10. Chapter 10

**Previously on:**

**I miss school the next day and the day after that. My nights are filled with horrific images and my days are filled with paralyzing fear. I can tell my mom is worried when she's not knocking on my door or at work, she's pacing downstairs. I can hear the constant tap of her shoes. By the second week, she bursts through my door and demands I go to school, but I look ragged and I have bags under my eyes so she leaves me alone. What she doesn't know is that I'm not feeding anymore. I haven't had blood since the boarding house almost two weeks ago. I am starving myself. I have no reason to do it except that I am so consumed by my fear that I cannot leave the house. **

**Chapter 10:**

Damon's POV:

It's been three weeks since the fight with the wolves and things have gone back to relatively normal for everyone. I am still nowhere closer to finding out what Katherine's after, but at least none of us have seen her or the wolves anywhere.

I'm about to open the front door to go see Alaric, we've been mapping out all the places the wolves could be hiding out, when the door swings towards me. In front of me is a blonde I haven't seen in years.

"Is Stefan here?" she asks. He is, but I don't want to tell her that. Lexi has been known to come by and stay awhile. Every time, she comes to see Stefan, she stays for months. She's like this annoying mosquito I can't get rid of. Plus, aside from Stefan she is the most judgmental vampire I've come across. "Killing people is wrong, Damon." She says in her little whiny voice. The girl drinks human blood, for gods sake.

"Stefan…" she yells and runs into the house and up the stairs.

"Please do come in," I say sarcastically to no one and walk out the door. At least, I won't have to deal with her for another couple of hours.

When I get back from Alaric's, Lexi and Stefan are planted on MY couch in front of the bookshelf, drinking MY bourbon and giggling about something probably insignificant. I try to go upstairs and settle in with a book, but their laughter follows me. I am so glad that Stefan can have fun, when our ex girlfriend is out there somewhere trying to kill everyone we know. I am whipped away from my thoughts when another wave of hysterical laughter reaches my room. I can't take anymore of this. I grab my leather jacket off the back of my armchair and rush out of the house.

At first, I consider going to Elena's. With Stefan occupied at the boarding house, Elena will be free and up for a good time, but Elena will want to talk about feelings, and the only thing I'm feeling right now is that I want to put my fist through the nearest wall. I can't describe this unbearable rage I have inside, but it's consuming me. It has been ever since Katherine has come to town.

My next thought is to go check on Caroline and I turn away from the route that will take me to Caroline's mostly because I annoyed that somehow after Elena, pesky chipper Caroline became his second choice. Instead, I end up at the Grill, where I spend the entire night throwing back bourbon. I have almost reached a nice mellow mood, when Sheriff Forbes settles in on the bar stool next to me.

"Liz." I say, raising my glass.

"Hello, Damon." She says and goes back to staring at the beer that's been placed in front of her. I look her over and realize that she looks as ragged as I feel.

"What's wrong?" I ask. I'm not sure I want to know, but she is a friend and what if it's something supernatural that I should be aware of.

"It's Caroline," she says and I straighten in my seat.

"What's wrong with her?" I snap. God, please don't let it be Katherine or the wolves again.

"She's locked herself in her room. She won't come out for food or school. The one time I managed to see her she looked so sick, and she won't let me help her," she says. There's a pause. I' m not sure what to say to that. The last thing I wanted to hear about was how much Caroline's been suffering.

"She'll be alright. If it'll help, I can come by and try to talk to her." I say. Mentally I cringe. Why did I offer to do that? I don't think that being near me will do Caroline any good.

"It can't hurt, everyone else has tried," she says. After that I am in no mood to keep this conversation going and I excuse myself. I'm not ready to go back to the giggling Boarding house yet, so I head to Caroline's.

When I get there all the lights are off and peeking into the window after climbing the tree next to the house, I see that Caroline is asleep. Even in sleep, he can see what everyone is talking about. She's a skeleton of the girl he knew, and she seems restless. Her pretty pink lips are set in a firm frown and her hair is a disheveled mess. She looks like she could use the sleep, so he resolves to come back tomorrow. He'll have to remember to bring some blood bags to put some color back in those cheeks.

Showing up at Caroline's the next day, I can tell something is wrong immediately. Even before I see anything out of place the panic in my gut is rising. It's the same feeling I got that night, Caroline was tied to a freaking tree. The door is unlocked and I've been invited into Caroline's house before, so I head upstairs. She's not in her room. There's a small balcony in her Mom's room and I find her there, standing in front of the open balcony door, fiddling with her sun ring. She hasn't heard me and I don't make my presence known. I want to see what she'll do next. Now, that I have a chance to observe her in the light, I can tell she's been crying, a lot. She hasn't been feeding which attributes to the skeleton appearance, I've noticed before.

Suddenly as if she's made some sort of decision, Caroline tears of her sun ring and step towards the open balcony door. I realized what she's trying to do, thankfully before she's stepped outside.

"What the hell, do you think you're doing?" I say and pull her, spinning her so she's facing me.

**Next on: Will Damon be able to talk Caroline out of her mood? Plus some fun scenes. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Previously On:**

**Suddenly as if she's made some sort of decision, Caroline tears of her sun ring and step towards the open balcony door. I realized what she's trying to do, thankfully before she's stepped outside. **

"**What the hell, do you think you're doing?" I say and pull her, spinning her so she's facing me. **

Caroline's POV

"Damon, Let me go," I say. I've never been this furious with anyone. My fangs come out and I truly do want to kill him. I want to sink my teeth into his flesh. I want to crush and kill.

I expect him to throw me across the room, to find some sharp wooden object and send it right through my heart. Instead, he picks my sun ring off the table next to us and slips it onto my finger. Then he backs away from me, hands raised in a sign of surrender, and says, "Can we talk about this, before you take your life, let's just talk." He sits down on the edge of my bed.

His reaction surprises me so much that I retract my fangs, and after a brief pause I sit down next to him. From inside his jacket he pulls out a blood bag, and I've been so hungry that I rip it out of his hands and attack it.

"I was right, you aren't eating." Damon says. He forms it like a question, but my concentration is solely on the bag. I want every drop of blood I can get, within minutes the bag is wiped clean. Damon pulls out another one, and lets me finish that one in peace, before he asks anymore questions. When I'm done, he places the bags on the bedside table, and asks me, "What's going on with you?"

I wish he hadn't asked me that. I've already figured out that fear has paralyzed me from answering that particular question. It's the same one that Stefan's asked every time he's come to visit.

I look at Damon, eyes wide with desperation, hoping he won't just leave me after I can't give him an answer. I think he senses my terror, because he slings one arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. I lay my head down on his shoulder and cry.

"I don't sleep." I say. It surprises me how much stronger my voice sounds just after those two bags of blood.

"Why not?" he asks. I want to tell him, but really there's nothing he can do, instead I just shrug. He gets up, and I panic. If he leaves, I'll be left alone with my thoughts.

"Where are you going?" I say, desperately. He doesn't answer; instead he walks over to the other side of my bed slides off his shoes and lies down.

"Come here," he says and opens his arms for me. I look at him incredulously. This couldn't possibly be Damon Salvatore acting this way. I lie down, cuddle into his arms, and sleep, actually sleep. Don't get me wrong the nightmares they're all still there, but now instead of panic, a sweet scent I've come to associate with Damon washes over all the scary images, and my mind manages to go blank. Instead of fear, I turn numb and I welcome this feeling.

Damon's started to sleep here at night. One time, I catch him on the phone with Stefan as I'm leaving the bathroom in my pjs. I hear him say, "Won't be home tonight, I'm on suicide watch," and there's a rush of anger at that.

He clicks his phone off and turns my way. His face immediately softens when he sees me, and I almost forget to be angry at him, almost.

"Suicide watch," I snap. He can tell, right away I'm angry because his whole body tenses.

"Caroline, I didn't mean it like that…" he says reaching for my hand.

I pull away. If he doesn't want to be here I am certainly not going to let him touch me.

"You certainly don't have to be here Damon. No one is forcing you to stay with little old pitiful, Caroline." I yell. It hurts so much to think that I've become a charity case. That seems to piss him off because the next second he's right in my face.

"I think you know me well enough to know that I don't do anything that I don't want to do. I never act out of pity or sympathy. I am here because this where I want to be and where I'm needed," he says and something clicks in my head like he's given me the key to his thoughts. He's needed here, I need him, and maybe Damon needs to feel needed. He certainly isn't getting it from anywhere else. Elena and Stefan use him and then throw him away shamelessly whenever he's no longer any use to them. I vow that I won't do that. Even if hopefully someday these nightmares end, I will still treat Damon like he's important to me, because he is. Somewhere, along the way Damon Salvatore has become an essential part of my life.

"Come to bed," I say and that all the invitation he needs.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Damon and I do everything together. We spend nights at my house because Damon doesn't want to go to the Boarding house with Stefan's best friend, Lexi there. He tells me about her. Mostly he says she annoys the crap out him, but in brief moments of honesty he also explains that he respects her for helping Stefan control his impulses as a vampire and for teaching Stefan how to loosen up. I'm still not going to school, so instead Damon fills our days with various activities. He teaches me how to play cricket, which I label the most meaningless sport ever invented and I make him watch The Notebook with me. He mocks the movie the whole way through and then sits with his arm around me as I cry at the end. Damon never pushes me to go back to school, and I appreciate that.

One day, I decide to venture outside my house. I think about going to the grill, but there would be too many people there during lunchtime, so instead I head to the Boarding House. I think about knocking, but the door is ajar and I'm sure that Damon won't mind me just walking in. As I wonder where I could possibly find him, I hear the beginning of the song Jessie's girl float through the house, and I follow the tune. I stop in the doorway of the room Damon's in, frozen by shock. A huge smile spreads on my face and I have to put a hand over my mouth to suppress my laughter. I'm sure Damon won't want to be caught. Damon is standing on the coffee table belting out Jessie's girl, while Glee is playing on the huge flat screen in front of him. Damon is using his hand as a microphone. God, I wish I had a camera! No one will ever believe this. As Damon spins around on the table, he spots me. At first he's shocked and then a huge boyish grin spreads on his face, he stops singing. He jumps down, pulls me towards the table and when we're both up there, starts singing and dancing again. I stand there not sure of what he wants me to do, but Damon's energy is infectious and soon were both dancing and twirling. When the song is over, we get down and sit down on the couch.

"Damon, you're watching Glee," I whisper.

"Shush, I wanna know if Finn confesses his love to Rachel," he says completely serious. I am deadly quiet, but eventually I can't keep the hysterical laughter in and I burst out into laughter. Damon turns to look at me and burst into laughing too.

When Stefan, Elena and Lexi get back from wherever it was they went, Damon and I are outside on the front lawn lying side by side staring up at the stars. We're not talking; the silence is easier for now. They stare at us for a few minutes and then walk into the house. We pay them no attention. This moment in time is just for us, peaceful and healing.

"I'm thinking about going back to school tomorrow," I say.

Damon is silent for a few minutes, and then responds, "If you think you're ready, okay."

He's tense now, and I know why. I've prepared for this.

"It won't mean, I'll stop coming here, and hanging out with you, I just want to go back to normal, routine stuff and with that comes school," I say.

"I think it's good. In fact, you should hang out with your friends more. You were telling me that you haven't seen Elena in weeks, "he says.

"Yea, yea it would be nice to hang out with my girlfriends again," I say, getting excited at the prospects. The nightmares will still come, but I'll have Damon to help fight them, and my normal life will keep me busy during the day, so I don't have to think about the fear. I know all about the supernatural things out there, but I will no longer let them consume me.

**Ok guys, please review like always. **

**Have to credit iWatch2much for the Glee part she came up with that idea. **

**Plus check out her new fic "Nothing Like Being Dirty." It's great, sexy fun for Delena fans!**

**Next up Caroline returns to school, but she's been replaced by a different blonde…**


	12. Chapter 12

**I want to apologize for not getting a chapter out sooner, especially since I've been pretty good updating so far. Finals are coming up, and that takes precedent. I'll try to do my best and get the chapters out as soon as possible, but it might take awhile. Bear with me, please…**

**Previously on: **

**The nightmares will still come, but I'll have Damon to help fight them, and my normal life will keep me busy during the day, so I don't have to think about the fear. I know all about the supernatural things out there, but I will no longer let them consume me.**

Damon's POV:

On the day Caroline is suppose to start school again, I show up at her bedroom door with coffee. It takes her a few minutes to notice me; she's busy throwing dresses onto the bed.

"Damon! What are you doing here?" she asks and her eyes light up when she sees me.

"Liquid courage," I say and pass her the coffee cup. The dresses on the bed are only one of the ways I know she's nervous about school. Her hands shaking when she grasps the cup are another.

"Thanks," she says and flashes me a smile. "Which one do you think?" she asks pointing to a red and a blue dress on the bed. I couldn't care less because I know that she'll look great in either, but I've learned to anticipate the answer she wants to hear after hanging around her for so long.

"Neither. Go with your leather vest and your best pair of jeans," I say. She looks at me, as if she's surprised that I know her closet so well. In truth, the leather vest and jeans outfit is the one I can't help staring at her ass in.

"Comfort and style, I like it." She says and heads to the bathroom to change. I sit on the edge of her bed fiddling with my sun ring. For some reason, ever since Caroline told me she was heading back to school, there's been this awkward tension between us. I tried to brush it off as her nerves about returning to school, but it's more than that. I can't place my finger on it and that bugs me. Caroline comes out of the bathroom and all I can say was I was right about the outfit.

"I'm nervous," she blurts out standing in front of me. "What if I can't face other people, Damon?" "What if Katherine is there?" she asks. I put my hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, you are Caroline Forbes. You can handle anything, and if you ever feel like it's getting to be too much you can call me and we'll play hookie," I say.

"Thanks," she whispers and smiles.

I drop Caroline off at the front entrance of Mystic High and after I see her join Bonnie on her way to class I drive off, unsure of where to go. It's sad to say, but I have nothing to fill my days now that I'm not spending them with Caroline. I head to the Grill hoping to find relief at the bottom of a glass.

Caroline's POV

"Caroline, you're back," I hear. Turning I find Bonnie squealing and flinging her arms around me. I am so glad to see her. I hadn't realized how much I've missed my friends, until I saw her.

"I'm so happy to see you Bon," I whisper into her hair with the start of tears in my eyes. Great, I'm getting emotional, exactly what I didn't want today.

She pulls away and says, "Come on, we're late for English and I have so much to fill you in on." During English, Bonnie fills me in on her new relationship with Jeremy Gilbert, a relationship I definitely did not see coming. We continue to gossip, until the teacher calls us out on it, and we stay silent until the bell rings.

The rest of my morning goes by quickly, at some point I see Matt and he waves, but there's no more of the puppy eyes my way. When lunch comes, I look forward to sitting next to my friends and eating the crappy cafeteria food, but when I get to the lunch table, my seat right in between Matt and Stefan is filled. Not only is it filled, but there is nowhere else to sit.

"Oh my, Caroline am I in your seat?" Lexi asks. Yes! She's in my seat and she's gripping on to Matt like he's her freaking life line. Regardless of how I feel about Lexi, and most of my feelings stem from what Damon has told me, I have to shrug her existence off for now, if I want my day to have any semblance of normality.

"It's okay, she can pull up a chair right here," Elena says and pulls over a chair for me to sit next to her. It's sweet that Elena wants to help out, but as I sit down next to her I get a whiff of her perfume and it sends me right back to panic mode. I can feel my airways closing up, and it takes everything I have in me to not vamp out right then and there.

"Guys, I forgot to get my assignment from Ms. Zinger in English, so I'm going to go do that." I say and scramble out of there. I can sense their confusion, and I know Bonnie knows I'm lying, since we just had English, but I can't stay there a second longer. Elena reminds me too much of Katherine, and Katherine is the gateway to all my nightmares. My first instinct is to skip the rest of the day and take Damon up on his offer to play hookie, but it's my first day back and I am determined to get my life back to normal. Fear and panic will no longer rule my life.

Instead I run towards the nearest bathroom. I take out my phone and speed dial Damon, hoping that he can talk me through this recent episode of hysteria. No one answers. Instead I get Damon's voicemail message and I close my eyes and let his voice waiver over me like a calming ocean tide. He may not be answering right now, but I know that if anything were to happen he'd be here. Just his voice is enough to calm me down and I am able to finish the rest of the day.

After school, Elena and Stefan invite me over to the boarding house. Elena has set up her Dance Dance Revolution game over at the house, and they sound so excited to hang out with me that I decided to go for it. I am going to have to get use to the fact that Elena looks exactly like Katherine. Maybe spending more time with her will help.

I walk into the Salvatore house a little after 4 and Elena, Stefan and Lexi are already playing. It looks like hanging out with Elena and Stefan now means I have to hang out with Lexi too. The three of them play eight sets before they even realize that I'm there, and by that time I've lost interest in the game.

I think about going home, but being home would be so depressing right now, so instead I head over to Bonnie's house hoping that at least one of my friends won't mind hanging out with me. Boy was I wrong. I'm not sure how I could have missed the tell tale signs of sex, but after I catch Bonnie and Jeremy doing the deed in her bedroom, I realize that they were all there. You'd think that with all of my vampire senses I would've heard the sounds, smelled the stench of sex, but no I was too preoccupied with getting to my friend.

I try Damon once more on his cell, but he doesn't pick up. This is going to be a hard night, alone. I probably should get a drink before turning in for the night. A drink will help me steady my nerves for the nightmares that are bound to come tonight without Damon at my side.

**Next up… Still Care's POV. Winter formal… Who does Caroline go with? More importantly who does Stefan go with? Haha… **

**Please review guys… your reviews make me happy! xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

**I am so deeply sorry to all the people who read the story and review for taking this long to post the next chapter. I've been having crazy writer's block, and part of it was that I've been trying to unravel the finale. I'm going to try to get another chapter out to you guys sooner. I'm hoping by Monday. Plus, I know I said I was going to write the winter formal in this chapter, but it felt right to add a Damon and Caroline scene in before that. **

**Previously on:**

**I try Damon once more on his cell, but he doesn't pick up. This is going to be a hard night, alone. I probably should get a drink before turning in for the night. A drink will help me steady my nerves for the nightmares that are bound to come tonight without Damon at my side. **

The grill is filled with more people than usual, and the only empty spot to sit is at the bar, which coincidentally Matt is serving at.

"Hey Caroline, what can I get you?" Matt asks as I slide on to the bar stool. I can't order a gin and tonic like I had originally planned. Matt knows I'm underage and the thought of compelling him revolts me. Instead, I order a coke and great ready to sulk. On impulse, I flip out my phone and try Damon one more time. It feels like he's avoiding me and it doesn't sit well with me because I realize how much I've begun to rely on him.

"Are you excited for the winter formal?" Matt asks snapping me out of my thoughts. I had forgotten that the formal was coming up, probably because I hadn't planned it this year. I plan all the school events except this time I had been too scared to go to school. I guess I've had way bigger things on my mind like Damon, Katherine, and my nightmares. It occurs to me suddenly that the winter formal is one way to get my life back to normal.

"We should go together," I say. I'm not sure where the idea comes from, but as soon as it leaves my mouth, I realize that it's genius. Matt is the only human who would go with me and going with a supe as Damon likes to call them would take away from the normalcy of the event. Besides, I can just imagine the pictures I'd have with sweet cute Matt on my arm, and with him I was a shoe in for Snow Princess (kind of like Homecoming Queen).

Before Matt can even answer I continue with all the reasons why it would be an excellent idea for us to go together. "Come on Matt, I've been going through a really tough time lately and going to the dance with you would be the perfect way to chill out. Plus, we could just go as friends, and it would be so much better than going stag." I'm rambling, but I so desperately want Matt to agree. Matt really is my only connection to the normal world.

"Caroline, Care…," Matt says. He always does that, says my name like a million times to stop my blabbering and I use to find it endearing. "I'm not going stag. I already have a date."

His words don't register with me at first, mostly because I want so much to believe that there is still hope for me and Matt. I want to believe that Matt is the link to my humanity. At first, I am infuriated that anyone had the audacity to approach my man. Don't they know that I'm student body president for a reason; I always get what I want. Then I realize that Matt isn't my man, and that we haven't been together for awhile. I've been so preoccupied with my supernatural world that I forgot that life goes on. Matt moved on. Now I'm embarrassed and I very much want something clever to come out of my mouth. Something that makes me seem cool and put together, but instead all that I can give him is a shocked, "Oh." It doesn't sound smart and it doesn't sound cool.

"Drinking without me Blondie," I hear from beside me and I don't even have to turn to know that it's Damon. He orders two glasses of bourbon and slides on to the bar stool next to me. I would be glad to see him, except that I feel like I'm at my breaking point. I miss all my friends who have other things going on in their lives. All my fears and insecurities that I've tried to hide ever since I became a vampire are just itching to get out, and they 're making me hungry. Damon has obviously decided that I am not worth his time and energy since he hasn't answered his phone all day, and now to make matters worse Matt, the only boy I have ever loved except that brief moment when Stefan first got to town and I thought we might be soul mates, has rejected me. I am feeling completely and utterly hopeless.

"You know what Damon, I do not have the patience to deal with your attitude today, why don't you go bother someone who you can compel to listen to you be a jerk," there is so much snarkiness in my voice that I am sure Damon is going to respond with his usual in your face anger. It's the reaction I am counting on. The reaction I need. My pulse is racing for a good fight. My fangs demand flesh and blood.

Instead he is deathly quiet. Matt is watching this whole exchange with a cautious eye, probably eager to step in if Damon tries to hurt me. What Damon does next surprises me so much that when years later Elena asks exactly when I knew I was in love with Damon Salvatore, I would swear it was this moment in time. Very quietly, as if he's actually scared that I'll bite his head off, Damon slides the second glass of bourbon towards me. He shoots down his entire glass, kisses me on the forehead, and leaves, just as suddenly as he had come.

I take a moment while my head spins; from the close proximity of Damon's body to mine or from the surprising non Damon-like action. All of a sudden, I realize that I cannot leave things this way with Damon. He has been my only friend during this painful time, and I just pushed him away. I swallow the contents of my glass in one big gulp and run out of the Grill after him. He's outside leaning against the building.

"I'm sorry. I am completely overwhelmed. You were right; I should have never gone back to school. Today was too much," I say in one breath leaning next to him against the bricks.

"Whatever, the only reason I'm still here is because I'm waiting for the blonde at table 13 to leave so that I can compel her for my dinner," he says this as if he's trying to convince both of us that he's still the badass he was when he first got to Mystic Falls. Back when he didn't care about how I felt while it was me he was using for dinner. Part of me wishes that we could go back to that time. Back then I had no knowledge of vampires, werewolves or witches. My only worry was planning that week's cheerleading routine. I could avoid the fact that being around Damon twists my stomach into a million knots and leaves me so confused that I am dizzy trying to unravel him.

"You know I'm getting whiplash from your games. How about you decide whether you're going to be nice Damon or jerk Damon and stop switching it around. I can't keep trying to predict whether you're going to lash out at me or bring me coffee before school," I say.

As I walk away, he's eyeing me like he can't quite figure me out, which surprises me because he once referred to me as shallow. Yep, shallow as a kiddy pool was the exact phrasing he used. That was back when he was still only using me. Now we have… a what? Relationship? Yea right. I have to stop thinking that everyone cares about me. I have to stop being weak little Caroline. All these nightmares about suffocating and I forgot the girl who use to single handedly plan an entire charity carnival. "I am not weak. I am not weak." I repeat over and over again in my head and I will continue to repeat this mantra until I believe it, until I no longer wake up in a cold sweat with Katherine's image on my mind, until Damon Salvatore stops giving me this tingling awkward confused feeling at the pit of my stomach.

"I am not weak," I say to myself all the way home.

**Next on Attacking the Wild Animal… the winter formal, finally! Caroline gets bored so who other than the charming Damon to keep her company.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Previously on:**

**As I walk away, he's eyeing me like he can't quite figure me out, which surprises me because he once referred to me as shallow. Yep, shallow as a kiddy pool was the exact phrasing he used. That was back when he was still only using me. Now we have… a what? Relationship? Yea right. I have to stop thinking that everyone cares about me. I have to stop being weak little Caroline. All these nightmares about suffocating and I forgot the girl who use to single handedly plan an entire charity carnival. "I am not weak. I am not weak." I repeat over and over again in my head and I will continue to repeat this mantra until I believe it, until I no longer wake up in a cold sweat with Katherine's image on my mind, until Damon Salvatore stops giving me this tingling awkward confused feeling at the pit of my stomach.**

**"I am not weak," I say to myself all the way home.**

"This dance sucks," I whine.

"You're just saying that because you didn't plan it," Bonnie says. We'd gotten here about an hour ago and already my mind was dying of boredom. There were too many cutesy couples reminding me that I was alone. Beside that I wanted desperately to know who Matt was bringing to the dance so that I could mercifully gossip about how fat she looked in her dress to Bonnie.

"And you're just being nice about the dance because you know how much it annoys me that I didn't plan it," I say bitterly. Jeremy and Bonnie were supposed to be each other's dates to the dance, but he had gotten a nasty flu and Bonnie had agreed to come with me instead. So far, she wasn't being a very entertaining companion. Stefan and Elena were already here, but they were mostly keeping to themselves. I thought it was strange that Elena wasn't wearing the dress we had spent hours picking out, but she looked fantastic in a short silver sequined dress so I brushed the thought off.

"I'm going to go get more punch," Bonnie said and rushed off. I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. School dances use to be so much fun. Bonnie, Elena and I would all spend the hours before the dance luxuriously getting ready. None of us would get ignored for a boyfriend unlike now when all Elena would do at dances is pay attention to Stefan.

"Hey Care," Matt said from in front of me. When had he gotten there? I must have been so preoccupied that I hadn't seen him come in. Unfortunately, as soon as I took notice of Matt I realized that he had a gorgeous lanky blonde in a red silk dress on his arm.

"Hello Caroline, Are you enjoying yourself?" Lexi said. This was his date! He passed her up for Lexi! She was a vampire! It didn't seem fair that I had given Matt up so that he could date a nice normal girl and instead he picked Lexi who was exactly like me. I wanted to smack the smug smile right off that slutty girl's face. Instead, I got up head held high and walked away without saying anything. Matt could have his stupid date, and Elena could have her stupid prince charming Stefan, I needed some air.

As I'm walking out the doors of the gym, I get pulled to the side of the building. At first I'm terrified that I'm about to get staked, but as my back hits the wall I see that it's Damon. He's got a big grin on his face, and I instantly can't help laughing in return.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper. His hands are at my waist and if I had needed to breathe I would have already forgotten how to.

"I'm chaperoning, cant you tell?" he said. He is so close that when he speaks I feel his breathe on my cheek.

"Chaperoning what?" I say and I know exactly what he's referring to, but maybe if I keep him talking he'll forget that he's only an inch away from me.

"The Dance," he says. He's not responding like his usual cocky self. Usually he responds to my questions with lengthy sentences. Usually he's being arrogant and self assured. Instead, he gives me these one word answers and stares deeply into my eyes casually running his hands along my arms.

"The Dance is inside," I say breathily. I briefly wonder what the hell has happened to my voice that has seemed to have taken on a life of its very own.

"So let's make one out here," Damon says and before I know what's happening I've been swept up into Damon's arms and were circling around the parking a lot in a waltz. I am aware of how ridiculous we look, but I don't even care. I'm having so much fun that I've forgotten that there's a hundred high school students just a few feet away. It's one of those magical moments that I will probably always remember and then as if the night hadn't been perfect enough, it starts snowing. Damon and I slow down so that instead of waltzing we're really just swaying. Again, I notice how close we are. Nose to nose. I can see that Damon's eyelids are dusted with freckles. Damon tilts my chin up and leans in. I just know that he's about to kiss me, and every fiber of my being welcomes it. It almost feels like I've been waiting a lifetime to be kissed by Damon. Just as his lips are about to close on mine Stefan's voice rings through the lot.

"You, Liar! You are a conniving bitch, Katherine. I can't believe you came here. "At the sound of Stefan's voice, Damon lets go of me and takes a step away. Our eyes are still locked when Stefan rounds the corner dragging by the wrist a very amused Elena or Katherine. It really is getting hard to tell at this point. Damon's eyes break away from mine first, but only because I'm too busy trying to decipher the tension that's rolling off of him in waves.

Katherine looks around at all of us and smirks. It looks like she's caused exactly the reaction she was looking for.

"It took you longer to recognize me this time Stefan, next time you won't even be able to tell the difference, "She says and rushes away.

We're all silent for a good long while. We're all confused and disoriented by the encounter. Damon seems to clear his head first.

"If that was Katherine then where is Elena?" There's finality to that statement that none of us want to hear. The truth is that with every day Katherine integrates herself further and further into our lives, and there can only be room for one of them.

**Next on… Damon walks Caroline home. They discuss Katherine being in town, but avoid the almost kiss, and Caroline finds out why Katherine is really in town.**

**Please review… Reviews make me happy and make me more willing to write. **


	15. Chapter 15

Hey guys! I am so sorry it's taken me this long to write. Y'all have been the best with the reviews, and I haven't given you anything. I just wanted to let everyone know that there will be a chapter tomorrow. I wanted to thank everyone for reading and being patient, and I think you guys will really like it. It'll be a long one too.

Here's a sneak peek:

"Well, Good night," I say. It's the first words that have come out of either of us since we left the dance, and they hang strangely in the air. As I turn to walk into the house however, Damon's arm stops me.

"Sit down, we need to talk," he says. I shiver because those were the exact same words Matt used anytime we were going to have a serious talk about our relationship. Damon and I sit side by side on the swing on my front porch, shoulders electrically grazing.

Next couple of chapters you'll see a new character. Lot of interaction with Caroline, the new character, and Katherine. Plus Damon gets a little jealous.

Xoxo


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I know I said a long chapter, but you need this fluff stuff to get to the good stuff. **

**Damon's POV**

I walk Caroline home very aware of the slight tension rolling off of each of us. We both have something to say, but neither of us can get it to roll off the tongues. I think about the kiss we almost shared, and I can't sort out it in my head what made me react to her in that way. Elena is most likely in danger right now and all I can think about is what the flakes of snow look like in Caroline's hair.

**Caroline's POV**

He was going to kiss me I'm so sure of it. He was going to kiss me and I would have let him, that's how far off the wagon I've fallen. We were friends once upon a time, and now I can't seem to bring us back to a place where there isn't a huge awkward tension between us. We get to my front porch, and Damon walks me to my front door. He's being so uncharacteristically nice that it throws me for a loop. I shouldn't feel this way about him. Damon is emotionally distant, cruel, and unfeeling, and yet I want there to be something redeeming about him.

"Well, Good night," I say. It's the first words that have come out of either of us since we left the dance, and they hang strangely in the air. As I turn to walk into the house however, Damon's arm stops me.

"Sit down, we need to talk," he says. I shiver because those were the exact same words Matt used anytime we were going to have a serious talk about our relationship. Damon and I sit side by side on the swing on my front porch, shoulders electrically grazing.

"Ok…Wats up," I say swinging my feet back and forth to give the swing some motion. The action has more to do with nerves than an actual desire to swing, but I have to have something to do during what I only assume will be a tense conversation.

"I think we should stop hanging out so often," he says and I'm so shocked that I audible suck in the air in front of me.

"What?" I ask. I'm sure I sound dumb right now, but I am so confused. He was going to kiss me at the dance and now he wants me to just stay away?

"Come on Caroline. You're sending out these flirty signals, and I'm not into you," he says with one of his signature smirks.

My brain is having trouble processing all this information. Damon doesn't want me. He was basically the only friend I had left and he doesn't. As the words run over and over in my head I start to get angry. What did he mean he didn't want me? I am Caroline freaking Forbes. Yes, even on my good days I could be considered insecure, crazy and neurotic, but I was also hot, caring and fun. Why didn't Damon want me? Why didn't anyone want me?

"Fine," I say and walk into my house slamming the door just a little harder then really necessary.

The next morning, I wake up in a daze. I'm still in my beautiful winter formal dress and looking into the mirror on my vanity has confirmed that my mascara has run into a gross mess down my face. I'm sure I have to be somewhere, but right now I can't figure out where that is. Instead, I fall asleep again finding comfort in the darkness that fills my head.

When I wake up again, I feel refreshed. So what if Damon doesn't want me, I have always lived by the philosophy that I could start over any day I chose. Today was a new day for me, and I was going to start over. Be someone new. My first order of business is to shower.

**Please review **

**Tell me who you think the new character who makes Damon jealous to be!**

**Xoxo.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Ok guys, things are about to get really interesting. Damon's POV is really just going to be filler, but Caroline's POV is where the fun begins. Hope you all enjoy.**

Damon's POV

Caroline has been missing for two weeks. I'd like to believe I've only noticed because Stefan and Elena are having a freaking nervous breakdown over it, but really I knew even before Stefan said anything that she was gone. I spent so much time compelling Caroline, controlling her being, now she is embedded in my very soul. Stefan and Elena seem to think something is wrong, that she's been kidnapped or worse that she's dead, but I know the truth. Her room seems untouched, but it's like the very essence of Caroline has been taken out of it. I know what's important to her; the picture of her dad holding her as a baby and her favorite leather vest is missing from the closet. The day I discover she's gone I spend hours in her room just touching the things she's left behind, my hand strokes her blanket on her bed at least a million times before I hear her mother's footsteps on the stairs and realize that I've been there for far too long.

Week 3

Caroline's still gone and I don't know what to do with myself.

Week 4

I've resorted to sitting around the grill, watching Stefan and Elena, Matt and Lexie, and Bonnie and Jeremy make googly eyes at each other. I'm considering murdering someone for my dinner tonight.

Week 5

I wish there was some way I could track Caroline, but she doesn't have a kill pattern. Katherine disappeared shortly after and something tells me that this isn't a coincidence.

Week 6

Stefan and I have official traded places. He's all happy and snarky all the time and I am officially the broody, pissed off brother. I am pissed off. I would never admit it, but I freaking liked hanging out with Vampire Barbie. She was the only one who called me on my bull and made me laugh.

Week 7

I've given up hope. Caroline is gone. I focus all my energy on seducing Elena. Stefan is making it way too easy however. He's been off lately and I can't quite tell why. Actually, now that I think about it he's been off ever since Katherine came into town. I should figure out why that is, but it's leaving the door wide open for me and Elena to bond.

Caroline's POV

I've lost track of how long I've been gone from Mystic Falls. I just stopped caring enough to count. When Katherine first came to me with the proposition of running away, it seemed like a really stupid idea. First of all, Katherine scared me. I had finally deciphered that the panic attacks I got when I was around Katherine had to do with the fact that the bitch turned me, and even though I should have been thoroughly pissed, I'd come to realize that the vampire me was a far better me than I could have ever been as a human. I was prettier, I was stronger, and I had the world at my very finger tips. Katherine made me realize that I could have anything I wanted if I played the game right, and she certainly taught me how to play the game. Having anything I wanted started to sound wonderful, especially after Damon had denounced our friendship, and finally I gave into Katherine's desire to run away. I gathered only the most important things to me; a picture of my dad holding me as a baby, and the leather vest that Damon had said I looked kickass in. I let Katherine lead me right out of town and I didn't look back.

For the first two weeks Katherine and I roam the south, stopping in every cute little honky tonk we can find and feasting on all the hot sweaty tractor boys until we get our fill. After two days I get bored. They all just remind me of Matt with their twinkling blue eyes and their southern charm, and thinking about my ex-boyfriend makes me want to shoot myself or them. Katherine feeds and I spend the next two weeks dancing. I get awfully good at the two-step. In Alabama, I dye my hair. I go from sunny blonde Caroline to fiery redhead Caroline. It only takes a matter of minutes and I instantly feel like a new person.

On Week 3, Katherine decides I'm ready. She doesn't tell me what for until we get to Miami, where she leads me into a bar. It's lunch time so the bar is empty except for two patrons; a very attractive brother and sister duo named Klaus and Rebekah.

"Katerina, what have you brought us, a treat perhaps?" he says flicking his gaze towards me from the bar stool he's lounging on.

"Check your senses, Klaus she's one of us. You won't have any fun feeding from her. I know how much you like a pulsing heart under your fingers when you feed." Katherine says as she saunters into the room. I briefly wonder why she always has to walk like she's on a runway, but then I feel Klaus's eyes on me and I forget what I'm thinking. His eyes draw me in, there is something so strange about them; their haunted and kind and yet also cruel. It baffles me how you can have all those emotions running through your system at the same time, and then I remember that he's a vampire and has probably had centuries to gather all his thoughts and feelings.

He looks me over like he's wondering if I'm worth keep me around.

His sister, the pretty blonde that's been twirling around on the table to what could only be the beat in her own head jumps off the table towards me so fast that if I wasn't a vampire my heart would have come right out of my chest.

She stares into my eyes for a minute and I stare back. It's a game, Katherine's taught me that much. Then she quirks her eyebrow and turns towards her brother and Katherine. Over her shoulder she says, "Nice vest."

Katherine heads behind the bar and pours herself a drink. I think I've past the test, but before I can head towards the bar, Klaus gets up and comes towards me. When he's standing I can tell that he's not really all that scary. He has a certain power in his eyes, but all in all he's kind of scrawny. Stefan is scarier than this guy. In fact, if he didn't have a few centuries on me, I think I could take him.

"So pretty, what's your name?" Klaus asks.

"Caroline," I say raising my chin defiantly.

"Caroline, such a pretty name, so Caroline, why should I let you stay with us?" he asks.

It takes me some time to answer, mostly because I don't know how to explain what I feel, but then I remember something Damon told me about his past and I say with absolute certainty, "Because I want you to help me flip the switch."

Klaus stares at me for a good long while before he finally makes up his mind.

"Well, this is going to be fun," he says and smiles putting his arm around me and turning towards the bar he asks, "So kiddies, where to next?"

**So what do you guys think of my two new characters? Do you guys see any holes in my story that I'm not filling.  
>Please review. I need feedback to help move the story along.<strong>

**Next up: **

**The adventures of Klaus, Caroline, Rebekah and Katherine**


	18. Chapter 18

Caroline's POV

I've been with Klaus, Rebekkah and Katherine for four months and I'm beginning to think that this group of individuals as messed up as they all are have become the most real family I have ever known. Klaus has started to remind me a lot of Damon which I'm sure would not please either of them, but they both have this charming handsome bad boy thing going on that I find both incredibly irritating and attractive at the same time. Surprisingly out of the two girls, Rebekkah is the one that reminds me of Elena the most. Of course every move Katherine makes looks and feels like Elena would make, but Katherine is seductive and manipulative. Rebekkah on the other hand has this childhood innocence about her as if she was never given a chance to grow up. She reminds me of the way Elena used to be before her parents died.

I've turned off my feelings but occasionally my mind wanders to how Damon is. I feel momentarily guilty for leaving him and then I remember that he didn't want me and I shut off my emotions and I go and rip someone's heart out.

Damon's POV

It's been two months and Caroline is still gone. I've stopped pretending that her absence hasn't ripped a big whole through my chest. In normal circumstances I would have left Mystic Falls and gone on a wild rampage. Instead, I stay in town and long for the day someone brings news of Caroline. A lot has changed lately. Lexi and Stefan have had a falling out. She's feeding on Matt; turning him into a puppet more and more every day. I'm not sure Stefan knows quite what to do with her, and I simply don't care enough to try. Stefan and Elena have officially broken up. I've spent so much time wishing for Elena that now that she's free I'm not quite sure how to proceed. We start sleeping together, but Elena has become vapid and shallow, and I keep picturing blonde hair and rose pale skin under me. It seems that without Caroline all of us are lost. Our little haven of Mystic Falls has fallen apart and none of us care enough to put it back together.

Eventually, Katherine floats back into town. I find out from Stefan who has taken tracking supernatural activity to a new level. I think he might be bored or just as desperate as me to learn about Caroline's whereabouts. I shouldn't care that Katherine's in town, but I'm pretty sure she has information on where Caroline has disappeared and I desperately need answers.

Stefan POV

About four months after Caroline has disappeared, Katherine resurfaces in town. I find her naked in my bed. With Elena and me over, I'm only slightly ashamed to say that I sleep with her, letting out all my fury and desperation into Katherine. I want to hurt her the way she has so easily ruined my life from that first day she appeared with the wolves and butchered Damon's arm. I try to pry information about Caroline's whereabouts out of her, but she isn't particularly thrilled about dolling out information. After she leaves I let Damon in on the fact she's here, leaving out the part about the sex. It wouldn't matter to him much anyway. I know he's been sleeping with Elena. A few months ago I would have ripped him apart for it, but nothing is the same anymore. Elena isn't the same person anymore, and I am definitely not the same anymore. Damon is welcome to her, but I can tell it isn't really her he wants anyway. We all miss Caroline.

**So It's kind of short guys, but there is another one coming super soon! Please Review. I'm excited to show you what's coming next. **


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